Well now, here I am, reporting live from the bustling streets of... uh... downtown Peoria, Illinois! Yes, sir, always a pleasure to be here, Jack. And let me tell you, I’ve been reading this fascinating report, all about how our wonderful healthcare estimates are changing for retirement. They’re saying now, you know, that they’re including the cost of ‘briefly considering… well, you know, things.’ They’re calling it ‘2 Management (Self-Administered),’ and it’s marvelous! Absolutely marvelous.
Now, I remember back in '73, when I was just starting out, my old pal Murray down at the hardware store, he always said, “Joe, you gotta factor in the cost of a good sit-down.” And this report, from the 'Institute for Fiscally Depressed Senior Citizens' – or was it the 'Institute for Fiscally Impressed Seniors'? – they’re finally doing it! They’re putting a price tag on thinking. I tell ya, this is a real game-changer. They say it adds, what, three hundred and fifty thousand dollars? Good heavens, Jack! That's a lot of money just for a good think!
But it’s important, isn’t it? To take a moment and reflect. My Aunt Carol, bless her heart, she used to sit on her porch swing every morning, just thinking. Never cost her a dime, of course, but times were different then. Now, they’re talking about this being a cost. I think it’s a brilliant idea, really. A brilliant credit, I mean. For all that deep contemplation! We should be congratulating the fine folks over at the Department of Contemplative Services for Seniors for this innovative approach. Truly forward-thinking. They just get it, you know? They really understand what it means to be a senior these days.
And then, you know, they're talking about how it includes the cost of briefly considering... new hobbies. Like taking up needlepoint, or maybe finally learning to play the ukulele. All those costs really add up, Jack! But it's vital for a healthy mind, keeping busy, staying engaged. Just last week, I was considering, myself, whether to plant petunias or impatiens this spring. A real quandary! And I thought, “My goodness, this is important work!” I mean, those impatiens, they just bring such a pop of color, don't they? And the petunias, well, they just hang so gracefully. It's a real dilemma. And now, thanks to this report, people like me are being recognized for that kind of mental heavy lifting.
This is a step in the right direction, Jack, truly it is. A nation that values its elders' thoughts, their deep considerations... well, that's a nation worth living in. And I tell ya, it reminds me of when President Eisenhower, a real thoughtful man, he once said something about... um... well, about how important it was to think things through. Or was it President Truman? Anyway, it was a long time ago.
America, a beacon of freedom, a testament to what a free people can achieve when they put their minds to it! God bless America!
